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Hunting: One of the Safest Outdoor Activities

 
 
cjhsa
 
Reply Thu 17 Jan, 2008 10:54 am
Hunting: One of the Safest Outdoor Activities
by NWTF
Contrary to how it's often portrayed, hunting is one of the safest recreational activities enjoyed in the United States.

In 2004, there were 445 hunter incidents in the United States according to the International Hunter Education Association. Of these incidents, 42 were fatal and only 2 involved turkey hunting, but hunting incidents are portrayed as happening often.

There are more than 20 million hunters entering the woods every year, and they are more than 1,000 times more likely to die in an automobile accident than in a hunting incident.

"Each year, hunting incidents are played up as common events, but in reality, hunters are probably safer in the woods than they are driving to the woods," said Rob Keck, National Wild Turkey Federation CEO.

According to the National Safety Council, there were 649 unintentional deaths due to firearms in 2004, while vehicles counted for 44,933 deaths and drowning counted for 3,308 deaths during that same year.

In fact, the National Safety Council's Injury Facts 2004 shows a person is five times more likely to accidentally die from choking than a firearm.

Shooting sports in general are safer than most activities and hunters are conscientious about safety. Hunters took the lead in promoting hunting and firearms safety through hunter education courses and the results have been a steady decrease in hunter and firearm incidents.

"Hunters are concerned and responsible citizens, and they're committed to continuing the downward trend in hunting accidents," said Doug Painter, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. "Firearms accidents overall have been declining for many years and now are at the lowest level in the history of record keeping, thanks to the safety awareness programs of many different organizations."

Hunting is safer than most spectator sports that many people consider safe such as football, baseball and basketball.

Injuries per 100 participants:
Football - 18.8
Baseball - 5.8
Basketball - 7.6
Hunting - 1.3

For more information about the National Wild Turkey Federation and its conservation efforts, please visit their website at www.nwtf.org.
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Type: Discussion • Score: 2 • Views: 1,352 • Replies: 9
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Rockhead
 
  1  
Reply Thu 17 Jan, 2008 11:03 am
cj, I am assuming these numbers exclude people hunting with Mr. Cheney....
0 Replies
 
cjhsa
 
  1  
Reply Thu 17 Jan, 2008 12:12 pm
Rockhead wrote:
cj, I am assuming these numbers exclude people hunting with Mr. Cheney....


My Dad has told me stories of hunting in the Dakotas back in the mid-twentieth century, when the pheasants were as thick as flies. The hunters were thick too, and it was pretty common to get sprayed by another hunting party. They'd hear the pellets hitting the corn - that's how they knew when to duck. I'd love to have such a problem.
0 Replies
 
Linkat
 
  1  
Reply Thu 17 Jan, 2008 12:19 pm
"Hunting: One of the safest outdoor activities"

I suppose that all depends on which end of the gun you are!
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cjhsa
 
  1  
Reply Thu 17 Jan, 2008 12:45 pm
Linkat, would you prefer I do a thread called "McDonalds. The safest place to eat as long as you're not a cow?"
0 Replies
 
Linkat
 
  1  
Reply Thu 17 Jan, 2008 12:47 pm
cjhsa wrote:
Linkat, would you prefer I do a thread called "McDonalds. The safest place to eat as long as you're not a cow?"


I'm making a joke - it was not meant to be a pro or anti gun message.
0 Replies
 
cjhsa
 
  1  
Reply Thu 17 Jan, 2008 12:48 pm
So was I. Fair enough! Smile
0 Replies
 
Linkat
 
  1  
Reply Thu 17 Jan, 2008 02:20 pm
cjhsa wrote:
So was I. Fair enough! Smile


Well to be honest I am not a McDonald's fan. I would be willing to try some of the meat you bag when hunting though.
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Foofie
 
  1  
Reply Wed 13 Feb, 2008 12:11 pm
For those who hunt for meat, rather than just sport, I wonder if most hunters truly prefer the taste of game animal, rather than pig, cow, lamb, etc.?

But, one does have to admit that game animal can't compare to the omega-3 oil from a day's fishing. Yes, wild game has less saturated fat, but is more chewy.

The two sports, I believe, attract two different types of person. I'd guess a hunter enjoys a totally different experience in hunting, than the fisherman enjoys from the experience of fishing.

This makes me wonder if Jesus could have had twelve Apostles that were hunters? I doubt it. There's just something about fishing, and those who fish, that might just lend itself to a more spiritual mindset.

But, addressing the thought that initiated this thread, I would guess that fewer people fishing, are injured during fishing, than hunters are injured during hunting. And, needless to say, a fishing accident can be handled with a simple pair of wire cutters to cut a fishing hook that got through someone's finger. Compare that to a hunting accident.
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cjhsa
 
  1  
Reply Wed 13 Feb, 2008 01:30 pm
I doubt it. I bet a lot more people drown while fishing.

Some are probably eaten by larger predators....
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